Brian Dick: British tennis deserves better service
There has been some pretty vitriolic criticism aimed at the Lawn Tennis Association in recent weeks and that tells us two things.
Firstly that it must be Wimbledon fortnight and secondly that nothing has changed in the 12 months since the last public inquiry.
British tennis remains in a lamentable state with no Grand Slam contender on the women’s side and only one of the men’s.
Andy Murray is our leading male exponent but there is no other Briton for another 168 places.
In the ladies’ game Elena Baltacha is our current No.1, despite exiting The Championships at the first hurdle and from the position of a set and break up against a Wimbledon debutant.
Katie O’Brien, Anne Keothavong and Naomi Cavaday scrape into the top 200 but, in truth, there is no quality among the women and no quantity in the men’s. Of the three men to crack the world’s top ten in modern times the LTA can claim little credit.
Andy Murray’s mother Judy was so horrified at his older brother Jamie’s experience under their governing body’s stewardship that Murray The Younger was sent to Barcelona to learn his trade.
Before that Tim Henman was discovered and nurtured by David Lloyd, while Greg Rusedski was Canadian.
And consider this: Murray and Jamie Baker are both Scots which means there are no Englishmen in this year’s All England Club draw. Incredible. Criminal.
That fact has been a useful one with which to beat the LTA. Pat Cash did so to his heart’s content last week when he called for the resignation of chief executive Roger Draper.
He described Draper’s performance as ‘shocking’ and accused his organisation of being ‘insane’ if they think the domestic game is in a good state.
The outspoken Australian was especially withering about the LTA’s record of grass roots investment.
